Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Jude Square, Earl's Palace.

It was a tipsy early morning, the sun was setting in the east, the light in the study was mottled, and it was quiet. Jia Cong was holding a collection of contemporary essays in his hand, but he was a little absent-minded.

Early this morning, he went to the second gate to message Jiang Liu and asked him to go to Hongwen Street to find out what happened. But he has not brought back any news yet.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me and smelled a faint fragrance. I turned around and saw Zhishao bringing me a cup of hot tea.

She wore a light purple skirt embroidered with plum blossoms and a white silk half-breasted midi underneath. She was graceful and charming, and intoxicatingly beautiful.

Zhishao had just taken a bath. Her beautiful hair was not tied up in a bun, but was tied with a hairband and let down behind her head. The water stains on her hair had not yet dried.

Jia Cong took the teacup and moved away a little to make room on the desk stool. Zhi Shao smiled slightly and sat down beside him, casually tidying up the books and other items on the table.

"Are Master Xiushan and your senior sister settled? If there is anything wrong, I will ask the housekeeper to take care of it."

"When I came back that day, everything was settled. Although Master had traveled a long way, he had recovered a lot after receiving the treatment and prescription from Doctor Zhang. He just needed to rest for a while and he would be well again."

Jia Cong listened to Zhishao's relaxed words, but he knew in his heart that although Master Xiushan's condition was temporarily stable, she would eventually pass away in the Muni Temple outside the west gate.

Master Xiushan was proficient in the innate numbers. Before her death, she admonished Miaoyu not to return to Panxiang Temple in Gusu, but to stay in Shenjing to wait for the opportunity. Miaoyu lived in Shenjing from then on.

Jia Cong naturally would not tell Zhishao about these things, so as not to make her sad. Besides, he could not justify how he knew these things.

This is Zhishao's happy and worry-free life. One more day means one more day of benefit. Why should she disrupt it easily?

The warm autumn sun slanted in from the window and spread over them. Zhishao's delicate body after bathing was filled with a warm, charming sweet fragrance.

Jia Cong recalled the days when they worked in the storehouse in the East Courtyard. They were lonely but always supported each other. They never thought that they would be together today.

His heart was moved, and he put his arms around her slender waist. Zhishao leaned naturally in his arms, allowing Jia Cong to rub her slightly wet hair for a few times.

"Third Master, look how good things are now. You are by my side every day, and Master and Senior Sister have also come to the capital. All the good things I have been looking forward to all my life have now come true."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "These are the good things you are looking forward to, nothing else?"

Zhishao seemed to have thought of something and smiled slightly. Her face flushed with shame, as beautiful as a newly blooming peony.

Such beauty made Jia Cong's heart beat fast. He could not help but hug her tighter and kissed her on the lips a few times. Zhishao closed her eyes and responded to him, her long and curly eyelashes trembling constantly.

……

At this time, footsteps were heard at the study door. Jia Cong reluctantly let go of Zhishao and saw the little maid Juan'er coming in.

He handed a note to Jia Cong and said, "Third Master's follower Jiang Liu passed this note to Third Master from outside the second gate."

Jia Cong took the note and saw that it said: Hongchun Fur.

Seeing Jia Cong's face suddenly become ugly, Zhi Shao was worried and asked, "Third Master, has something happened?"

Jia Cong forced a smile and said, "It's nothing serious, don't worry."

He took the note and went out of his yard, walked in the garden for a while, and sat down in a secluded corridor, his thoughts surging in his mind.

Jia She's fur shop was called Hongchun Fur Shop, and the shop logo written on the two wooden boxes found with goods from the Jinling private firearms workshop was exactly the same.

And Jia She recently received merchants from Jinling, which is enough to prove that he has business dealings with Jinling.

Jia Cong didn't believe that there could be so many coincidences in this world. He didn't even need to send anyone to investigate carefully to roughly conclude that Jia She must be involved in the stolen muskets in Liaodong.

Although Jia She was a mean and greedy person, he was born into a noble family and it was impossible for him to be completely unaware of the seriousness of the matter. If he had known that transporting this batch of goods would involve the theft and private manufacture of firearms, he would definitely not dare to get involved.

Therefore, when someone stole muskets from Liaodong, the imperial court launched a strict investigation and most of the stolen muskets encountered obstacles after they were transported to the capital.

So these people borrowed Jia She's fur shop and smuggled the goods to Nanjing. After all, the title of the first-class general of Rongguo Mansion was still useful in the capital.

These people must have used some means to conceal the truth about the transportation of goods from Jia She. After the stolen rifles were smuggled to Jinling, they were disassembled and used for imitation.

But even if Jia She did not know the truth of the matter, he was involved in the theft of muskets and the private manufacture of firearms, a crime that was close to treason, and there was no way Jia She could clear himself of it.

When things got to this point, Jia Cong thought about it and found that there was nothing he could do.

……

Based on Jia Cong's understanding of Jia She, he must have received high commissions for using his fur shop to help others transport goods.

So even if something happens to him, it's his own fault, so emotionally speaking, he doesn't want to get involved at all.

However, if something happened to Jia She, the entire Rongguo Jia family would be implicated, and Jia Zheng, Tanchun and other sisters would definitely be affected, which made him unable to stand idly by.

But Jia She's fur shop has been open for more than half a year, and the brand of Hongchun Fur has become well-known to everyone.

Even if Jia Cong tried to cover it up now, it would be of no avail, because he could no longer hide it from others. Instead, he would implicate himself because of his rash actions.

Moreover, the two wooden boxes related to Hongchun Leather are now in the hands of Jinling Jinyiwei.

Ge Zhicheng, a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, is not an ordinary character. He may still be in the counties near Jinling, looking for the location of Hongchun Fur Goods.

But there are too many channels and possibilities, and sooner or later he will know that there is such a Hongchun Fur Shop in Shenjing, thousands of miles away.

No one in Shenjing has paid attention to Jia She's fur shop so far. It is very likely that the Jinling Jinyiwei reported it but it has not yet been sent back to the Jinyiwei Command Headquarters in Shenjing.

Therefore, since Jia She was involved in the theft and private manufacture of firearms, Jia Cong was unable to prevent the matter from being exposed because the initiative lay with the Jinling Jinyiwei, not him.

The only thing he could do now was to control the damage caused after the matter was exposed so that it would not affect himself and those he cared about.

……

The palace city of Da Zhou, Qinghe Palace.

Zhen Fangqing entered the palace for several days and stayed with the old Concubine Zhen day and night.

Perhaps because of Zhen Fangqing's arrival, the old concubine looked much better, and even her spirit was stronger than before.

The imperial physician performed diagnosis and treatment every day, and Zhen Fangqing observed behind the curtain.

However, Li Chengming, the director of the Imperial Hospital, did not show any relief despite the improvement in Concubine Zhen's condition. Instead, his expression became increasingly solemn, which made Zhen Fangqing extremely depressed.

That day, after eating a little, Old Concubine Zhen said to the old nanny beside her, "You all should leave. Just let Fang Qing stay with you."

Everyone in the room went out, the old lady closed the door and stood quietly at the door alone.

This kind of situation has happened once a day since Zhen Fangqing entered the palace. This is their daily alone time.

At this time, Old Concubine Zhen would tell her many past events.

The carefree time of a young girl in the Zhen family mansion, the youthful longings when she first entered the palace, and the sixty years in the palace, there have been joys and calms, but also many hardships and heavinesses.

Zhen Fangqing had never heard of many of these things before, and her mood was often in a state of extreme surprise and agitation. She believed that there were some things that only a handful of people in this world could hear of.

It is like an old man who is about to die, passing on all the ups and downs, wisdom and insights of his life without reservation to enrich the hearts and give guidance to his most beloved descendants.

……

Today, Old Concubine Zhen seemed to be in clearer spirits than in the past few days, and she seemed to be in a better mood to talk than usual.

Old Concubine Zhen asked, "Fang Qing, do you know that Taizu once established his capital in Jinling, went north to the Central Plains, and finally established the vast land of the Great Zhou?"

Zhen Fangqing replied, "I have heard a lot since I was a child. Emperor Taizu was an unrivaled hero. He wiped out the separatist regimes in the south of the Yangtze River and unified half of the country. This laid the foundation for sweeping the Central Plains and reshaping the Han clothing."

"Emperor Taizu's achievements are unparalleled and will be difficult for future generations to surpass, but great events in the world always require the sacrifice of thousands of men for the success of one general. This has always been the case."

Zhen Fangqing felt a chill in his heart when he heard the old concubine suddenly say such desolate words.

Old Concubine Zhen spoke in an old and deep voice, and continued: "Back then, the Jin and Mongolians successively ravaged the Central Plains, and the Han people migrated south to defend their country for a hundred years.

While fighting against the barbarians, various warlords never stopped vying for the supreme power of the Southern Migration Army. The flags on the city walls changed frequently, the country south of the Yangtze River changed several times, and the spirit of power and military force was far greater than that of previous generations.

Emperor Taizu Li Tianling rose to prominence in the south of the Yangtze River with his extraordinary talent.

It took only ten years to destroy Zhang Chu, Chen Han and other southern countries, and bring all the powerful men under his command, before he had the strength to compete with Northern Mongolia.

However, although the powerful leaders were killed, many of the Han troops under his command still had hidden ambitions.

In order to take precautionary measures, Emperor Taizu ensured that all Han troops would unite in the northern expedition to fight against the Mongols.

He then selected his best soldiers, led by his brother Li Tianmin, and secretly took charge of monitoring and deterrence within the army under the pretext of traveling around the world.

When Zhen Fangqing heard the name Li Tianmin, she felt it was very unfamiliar, as she had never heard of him before. However, the old concubine said that he was the younger brother of Taizu, so according to common sense, he should not be unknown. She felt a little strange.

……

Old Concubine Zhen continued: Emperor Taizu's talent in military affairs is unparalleled in the world, so he was invincible and unified the country.

But his younger brother Li Tianmin was a man of different talents. Although he was inferior to Taizu in military affairs, he was deep-minded, meticulous in his actions, and had extraordinary strategies. He was also a very powerful person.

It only took Li Tianmin a year to use the power at his disposal to eliminate hidden dangers in the various armies, consolidate cohesion, and build a powerful army for Taizu that could sweep across the world.

After Taizu's Northern Expedition, Li Tianmin led his elite troops, recruited extraordinary people, assassinated Mongolian generals, burned food and grass, spied on military intelligence, and made great contributions.

At that time, Taizu ordered his generals and confidants to select the best young men in their families to join Li Tianmin's army to strengthen his strength and work together for the great cause of the country.

Today, the four great families of Jinling, Jia, Wang, Shi, and Xue, as well as our Zhen family, all had children serving under Li Tianmin.

After ten years of northern expedition, Taizu finally swept across the Central Plains, with his army heading straight for the Mongol capital Dadu. The fate of the world was left to the last battle. Just when the fate of the world was still to be determined, Li Tianmin sent a master warrior to Dadu to assassinate the Mongol emperor Toghon Temur. The Mongol army was in chaos, and Taizu took advantage of the situation to break through Dadu and pacify the world in one fell swoop.

The stories of the past years told by Old Concubine Zhen were full of ups and downs, and Zhen Fangqing's heart was moved as she listened.

Although she had heard about the heroic deeds of Emperor Taizu of Zhou in books or stories told by her predecessors, they were far less fascinating than what the old Concubine Zhen said. It was also the first time she heard about Li Tianmin's deeds.

……

Seeing that the old concubine Zhen had been talking for a long time, Zhen Fangqing stood up and poured a cup of hot tea, wanting to moisten the old concubine's throat.

Said: "According to our ancestors, Li Tianmin made great contributions to the Great Zhou Dynasty's consolidation of the world."

However, when Old Concubine Zhen heard Zhen Fangqing's casual words, she was slightly stunned, as if she was lost in thought, and did not take the teacup from her hand.

He murmured, "It is a great achievement to stabilize the world, but it is this achievement that makes people fearful and ambitious, and it leads to disasters that will reach the sky!"

When Zhen Fangqing heard this, her thoughts raced, and she even forgot to put down the teacup in her hand. She was quick-witted and vaguely guessed what Old Concubine Zhen meant.

Empress Dowager Zhen said: "Emperor Taizu entered Dadu, unified the country, and returned to Nanjing to ascend the throne and become the common ruler of the world.

But at this time, it was revealed that Li Tianmin was conspiring with his subordinates to seize the world."

Zhen Fangqing was shocked. It turned out to be just as she had guessed.

It must be that Li Tianmin followed Taizu in starting an uprising and made countless amazing achievements. After the world was settled, he became ambitious and was unwilling to be under Taizu, so he began to want to usurp the throne and seize power!

Old Concubine Zhen continued, "The older generation all thought that Li Tianmin had planned everything in his life, but Emperor Taizu was only an invincible military commander, and his ability in secret plans and plotting was not as good as Li Tianmin's.

But things are unpredictable, or perhaps it is fate. It is said that the news of Li Tianmin's rebellion leaked out and he soon fell into despair.

Although he had many talented people under his command, and thousands of loyal and brave warriors, Taizu had nearly a million soldiers under his command when he conquered the world. The comparison between the two was too great a disparity in strength.

At that time, Taizu had conquered the Central Plains and expelled the Northern Mongols, and his prestige was at its peak. Compared with his brother, Li Tianmin's reputation was inferior in many ways.

It is said that when Li Tianmin wanted to rebel, the sons of various noble families who had been loyal to him under his command turned against him one after another, and the rebellion was defeated before it was even launched.

Li Tianmin was soon defeated and killed, and his loyal subordinates fled with his only bloodline, and have been in hiding ever since."

When Zhen Fangqing heard what Old Concubine Zhen said, he gradually felt horrified. He seemed to have thought of something, but he couldn't grasp the clue for a while.

Old Concubine Zhen continued, "The imperial court has always regarded Li Tianmin's bloodline as a serious threat, and has strangled his followers for generations without any leniency.

These people have another name. In fact, this name has existed since Li Tianmin formed an independent army under the pretext of wandering around the world.

Qing'er, you must have heard of it in Jiangnan."

When Old Concubine Zhen saw Zhen Fangqing's eyes flickering, she lowered her voice slightly and said, "The name is Hidden Gate!"

Although the words were light, they carried a sharp chill.

With a "bang", the teacup in Zhen Fangqing's hand fell to the ground and shattered into pieces, and her pretty face turned pale.

……

The palace door was pushed open, and the old nanny looked pale and asked, "Old Concubine Dowager, is there anything wrong?"

Old Concubine Zhen looked calm and said, "Fang Qing accidentally broke the teacup. You go and wait. I will talk to Fang Qing."

Jinling was the birthplace of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the foundation for Emperor Taizu to conquer the world, and the secondary capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The Hidden Sect also originated in Jinling, and rumors about it spread all over Jiangnan. Zhen Fangqing grew up in Jinling, so naturally he had heard of the name of the Hidden Sect.

But she never expected that the notorious evil cult was actually from the same lineage as the current royal family of the Great Zhou Dynasty. It was really too unbelievable.

After the old lady left and closed the door, Zhen Fangqing spoke after a while: "Grandfather, according to this, Li Tianmin is from the same royal bloodline, so his descendants are also of dragon and phoenix blood?"

Empress Dowager Zhen said: "Li Tianmin is the younger brother of Emperor Taizu. You can't write two Li characters with one stroke. In terms of blood relationship, he is naturally the heir to the throne.

But the descendants of Li Tianmin have always been a great threat to the imperial court, and their only fate is to be exterminated."

Zhen Fangqing's eyes flickered as he asked, "Grandfather, you told me about these past events. Is there any connection between them and the Zhen family?"

……

Old Concubine Zhen smiled and said, "You are a smart child, you have asked the key point.

I told you that back then, Emperor Taizu and brother Li Tianmin were respectively in charge of internal and external affairs, and they worked together to rule the world. Many of Taizu's subordinates and generals had their own sons who joined Li Tianmin's army.

When Li Tianmin rebelled, most of these young men from noble families turned against him, except for one person who was a little different. That person was my grandfather, your great-great-grandfather.

Back then, my grandfather was Li Tianmin's trusted adviser. He had made great contributions to Li Tianmin, given him advice and made many achievements.

When Taizu captured Dadu, expelled the Northern Yuan Dynasty and unified the country, my grandfather suddenly retired from office, lived a leisurely life and did not care about foreign affairs.

It was also because of this that he avoided the dangers of the royal struggles at the beginning of the founding of the country and saved the Zhen family.

But compared to those children of noble families who turned against Li Tianmin, my grandfather's behavior was a little different. He was considered to be treacherous and opportunistic, and had no loyalty to the emperor, so he was suspected by others.

Therefore, throughout the reign of Emperor Taizu, my grandfather was left idle and no longer valued, and the Zhen family became just an ordinary wealthy family in Jinling.

The four kings and eight dukes who had fought with the Zhen family to establish the country were all granted high-ranking official titles during the reign of Taizu, and the titles have been passed down from generation to generation to this day.

The Zhen family has survived until my generation. Decades have passed since the old events, and the aftermath has gradually faded. My grandfather has long passed away, and I was only able to enter the palace by chance after being selected.

The late emperor was benevolent, so he granted the Zhen family hereditary official positions, but their value is far inferior to that of the four kings and eight dukes. "

……

At home, Zhen Fangqing only knew about things related to his grandfather's generation. As for his great-great-grandfather's generation, he was completely clueless.

She guessed that even her grandmother, Old Lady Zhen, didn't know much about that generation. Only the old concubine, who was of a high generation, would know the details so well.

Old Concubine Zhen sighed and said, "With this old story, the Zhen family is inherently inferior compared to the Jia and Shi families.

Ever since your father's accident, there has been no outstanding person in the Zhen family.

Which of your cousins ​​was even involved in the illegal manufacture of firearms and treason? The descendants of the Zhen family are so poor.

Once I die, there will be no one to protect our family, and the Zhen family may fall into ruin overnight."

Zhen Fangqing thought, everyone knows that the current emperor came to the throne by extraordinary means, and his schemes are full of doubts. There is a hidden confrontation between the two generations of monarchs, and the four kings and eight dukes of that year were greatly suppressed.

The unique relationship between the Zhen family and the retired emperor must also be alienated and ignored by the current emperor.

Cousin Zhen Shiwen was suspected of illegally manufacturing firearms and was killed. The Jinling Jinyiwei has been eyeing the Zhen family covetously, and the old concubine is seriously ill and dying. The current situation of the Zhen family is that it will be ruined at any time.

……

After saying so many words, Old Concubine Zhen's face turned slightly pale and her breathing became a little unstable, but she still did not stop talking.

She glanced at Zhen Fangqing with admiration in her eyes.

Youyou said: "Qing'er, the reason why I told you these secret and taboo old stories is that I want you to know the origins of the great events of the country and the reasons for the rise and fall of the Zhen family.

Only by delving deeply into the truth and tracing its roots can you see the general trend and know how to avoid danger and seek good fortune.

It is said that sons can carry on the family business, but the sons of the Zhen family are so weak that they must be unreliable. An outstanding woman can also carry on the family business. After I am gone, only you can ensure that the fortune of the Zhen family will continue.

Right now, if the Zhen family wants to overcome the difficulties, they can only protect themselves by seeking help from external forces.

At that time, the Zhen family married into the Beijing Palace, thinking that the family would gain strength through union. However, your second brother-in-law, although a prince, likes to seek fame and reputation, which is disliked by the emperor, and he is a failure.

Among the current four kings and eight dukes, there is only one who has made a name for himself, has extraordinary experience, and is outstanding. He is not rejected by the emperor, but is instead valued by him. This is also a rare opportunity, and a rare commodity is worth keeping."

When Old Concubine Zhen said this, her pair of dim old eyes suddenly brightened a little, flickering, and no one knew what she was thinking.

When Zhen Fangqing heard this, her heart beat faster, and she naturally understood who the old concubine was talking about.

"This person is Jia Cong, the Marquis of Weiyuan, of the Jia family of Rong State."

As Old Concubine Zhen spoke, she glanced at Zhen Fangqing. Seeing her bright eyes and flushed face, she naturally understood what she was thinking and couldn't help but smile slightly.

"What's even more bizarre is that the Emperor Retired also admires Jia Cong and shows that he cares about him. Do you know what it means that Jia Cong can be favored by his father and son?"

Zhen Fangqing did not have time to think, and said: "Jia Cong is prudent and quick-witted, and he is valued by two generations of emperors. As long as he does not get involved in unexpected disasters, he will be able to stand firm no matter what the court situation is like!"

Old Concubine Zhen said, "That's right, that's why I want to help you and Jia Cong get married. Prince Beijing Shui Rong is not suitable. Only someone like Jia Cong can provide support for our Zhen family in the future.

This way, after I leave, I can rest assured about you and the Zhen family."

Old Concubine Zhen smiled again and said, "I have summoned Jia Cong a few days ago. That boy is indeed an outstanding person and a good match for you. I can also see that you like him. This is perfect."

Perhaps because she had said too much, Old Concubine Zhen became a little agitated. Her face flushed and she started coughing violently, the sound echoing in the room.

Zhen Fangqing fed the old Concubine Zhen a few sips of water, called the old nanny outside, and helped her lie down to rest.

Old Concubine Zhen and Zhen Fangqing talked too much in the past half day, which might have hurt their mental strength.

In the second half of the night, the old concubine suddenly fainted again, and the Qinghe Palace was in chaos... (End of this chapter)